LEXIE CANNES STATE OF TRANS — Violence is a major part of the lives of most transgender people in the United States and elsewhere. But being able to point to evidence supporting it is something else entirely. In most cases, trans violence incidents either fly under the radar due to misgendering, confusion, ignorance or simply not reported at all.

Trans woman and advocate Allison Woolbert of Princeton, New Jersey, a professional computer software developer, wants to change that by using computer technology to track trans violence.

Regular readers of this space are familiar with the difficulty of confirming acts of violence — incorrect names, misgendering and weak or unverifiable sources hamper the recording and reporting of trans violence. Without reliable data, reversing these conditions for trans people has been a difficult road. These issues also make it difficult for the transgender organizations that track trans murders, primarily for observation of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR).

Woolbert’s Transgender Violence Tracking Portal software generates a way of capturing a verifiable and searchable database. In addition, the tracking of transgender suicide will be possible — strengthening the case for further administrative, legal and legislative changes.

The success of Allison Woolbert’s site is dependent on the trans community and allies’ commitment to reporting all suspected acts of trans violence — if you see or hear of such a case, report it, so it can be investigated and confirmed.